Your work. Your records.
Refuse Collector Workplace Records Guide
A refuse collection shift can include inspection, route changes, loading delays and disposal-site waiting. If a workplace concern centers on missed service or hours, show which part of the route was assigned to you and when conditions changed.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Inspection timing
Record when the pre-route check ended and when a reported issue was addressed.
Added collection
Note who directed an extra area or return trip and how it changed the expected finish.
Disposal interval
Distinguish travel, unloading and waiting time using your own notes with estimates labeled.
Start with the work you actually do
Collect and dump refuse or recyclable materials from containers into truck. May drive truck.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (53-7081.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Inspect trucks prior to beginning routes to ensure safe operating condition.Source task 7170 · updated 08/2023
- Drive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas.Source task 7174 · updated 08/2023
- Refuel trucks or add other fluids, such as oil or brake fluid.Source task 7171 · updated 08/2023
- Dump refuse or recyclable materials at disposal sites.Source task 20313 · updated 08/2023
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (SOC 53-7081). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17.44 | $22.23 | $26.40 | $46,240 |
| Alaska | $17.32 | $21.99 | $34.54 | $45,740 |
| Arizona | $16.76 | $22.55 | $28.85 | $46,910 |
| Arkansas | $14.09 | $17.13 | $19.92 | $35,640 |
| Connecticut | $17.06 | $18.37 | $24.56 | $38,220 |
| Delaware | $23.14 | $29.47 | $30.43 | $61,290 |
| Florida | $18.94 | $22.99 | $27.93 | $47,820 |
| Georgia | $17.89 | $22.58 | $26.92 | $46,960 |
| Hawaii | $18.82 | $27.05 | $30.81 | $56,270 |
| Idaho | $22.28 | $23.98 | $26.57 | $49,880 |
| Indiana | $23.96 | $28.32 | $29.43 | $58,900 |
| Iowa | $22.21 | $23.97 | $27.91 | $49,850 |
| Kansas | $16.84 | $21.88 | $23.14 | $45,510 |
| Kentucky | $16.69 | $20.72 | $23.50 | $43,100 |
| Louisiana | $16.40 | $18.66 | $23.69 | $38,810 |
| Maine | $17.87 | $20.85 | $23.45 | $43,360 |
| Michigan | $18.03 | $24.53 | $29.55 | $51,030 |
| Minnesota | $25.02 | $30.08 | $31.72 | $62,570 |
| Mississippi | $17.08 | $18.83 | $23.13 | $39,170 |
| Missouri | $17.51 | $24.04 | $29.50 | $50,010 |
| Montana | $21.79 | $23.76 | $27.93 | $49,420 |
| Nebraska | $18.96 | $23.75 | $26.03 | $49,390 |
| New Hampshire | $19.43 | $22.40 | $25.91 | $46,580 |
| New Mexico | $20.13 | $22.92 | $24.10 | $47,660 |
| New York | $22.61 | $31.23 | $41.49 | $64,950 |
| North Carolina | $16.66 | $21.48 | $23.57 | $44,670 |
| North Dakota | $22.97 | $28.37 | $29.64 | $59,000 |
| Ohio | $20.49 | $23.72 | $28.49 | $49,330 |
| Oklahoma | $17.45 | $20.70 | $23.51 | $43,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $18.00 | $23.19 | $29.79 | $48,240 |
| Rhode Island | $22.98 | $26.91 | $28.83 | $55,970 |
| South Dakota | $14.24 | $15.84 | $18.18 | $32,950 |
| Tennessee | $17.03 | $20.80 | $27.56 | $43,270 |
| Texas | $17.25 | $22.27 | $24.06 | $46,330 |
| Utah | $23.08 | $28.52 | $29.63 | $59,310 |
| Vermont | $23.93 | $24.98 | $29.07 | $51,960 |
| Virginia | $16.46 | $22.37 | $27.61 | $46,530 |
| West Virginia | $14.15 | $17.23 | $20.89 | $35,840 |
| Wisconsin | $23.29 | $28.76 | $30.49 | $59,810 |
| Wyoming | $20.60 | $23.47 | $25.26 | $48,820 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Start with the truck handover
Note when you received the vehicle, completed your assigned checks and reported any concern. Record whether the equipment was replaced or the route changed. Separate a defect you observed from a mechanical diagnosis made by someone else.
Explain route interruptions
List the general sequence of collection, travel and disposal periods, including instructions to return to an area. Distinguish waiting at a disposal site from a break or early finish. Keep the original assignment visible beside later additions.
Limit route information
Use your own time entries and permitted assignment communications. Do not retain resident account lists, address-level service histories or vehicle tracking exports. Identify the relevant route record and date so it can be reviewed through an authorized channel.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
Explore state resources